Saturday, 4 July 2015

Holy See: Causes of terrorism must be addressed

Holy See: Causes of terrorism must be addressed

(Vatican
Radio) The United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday held a
special panel on the effects of terrorism on the enjoyment of human
rights and fundamental freedoms.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to
the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, told
the panel the international community has not always been effective in
preventing and curbing terrorism, especially in the Middle East and
different parts of Africa.

“While considering the negative effects of terrorism on the enjoyment
of human rights and fundamental freedoms, we should also be clear in
our reasoning that these effects will continue, and indeed will become
worse, if the causes of terrorism are not clearly and swiftly addressed
by the national States concerned and the international community,” said
Archbishop Tomasi.

“Terrorism also facilitates trafficking of persons and weapons, thus
creating a black market for human commerce,” he continued. “Where
terrorism has effectively taken hold, irreparable social and cultural
damage has been done that will resonate through future generations.”

The full text of Archbishop Tomasi’s intervention is below

Statement by His Excellency Archbishop Silvano M. TomasiPermanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Genevaat the 29th Session of the Human Rights CouncilPanel on the Effects of Terrorism on the Enjoyment by All Persons ofHuman Rights and Fundamental FreedomsGeneva, 30 June 2015

Mr. President,

The Holy See is grateful to the Human Rights Council
for devoting a special panel of this 29th Session to discuss the effects
of terrorism on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental
freedoms. In particular, we acknowledge the thorough and enlightening
report of the Special Rapporteur. Terrorism is a terrible reality that
is affecting all parts of the globe, destroying countless lives,
threatening societies and annihilating cultures and their histories.
Sadly, one must admit that the international community has not always
been effective in preventing and curbing terrorism, especially in the
Middle East and different parts of Africa. Since 2000, the world has
witnessed a staggering 500% increase in the number of victims of
terrorists attacks. In particular, the past two years have seen a
startling increase in the body count of innocent victims at the hands of
ISIS and Boko Haram groups, among many others. In 2013, for example,
82% of those victims were killed in just five countries: Iraq,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria. While considering the negative
effects of terrorism on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental
freedoms, we should also be clear in our reasoning that these effects
will continue, and indeed will become worse, if the causes of terrorism
are not clearly and swiftly addressed by the national States concerned
and the international community.

Mr. President,

The Holy See Delegation would like to denounce most
especially terrorist acts carried out in the name of religion. As Pope
Francis states, “Religious fundamentalism, even before it eliminates
human beings by perpetrating horrendous killings, eliminates God
himself, turning him into a mere ideological pretext.” Terrorism is a
political means to influence behavior and to reach objectives through
fear. Acts of terrorism cause the destruction of human rights,
political freedoms and the rule of law. Terrorism is the antithesis of
the shared values and commitments which serve as the basis for peaceful
coexistence domestically and internationally. Indeed, with the
proliferation of terrorism and the impunity which its proponents enjoy,
we can say that there is also a “globalization of terrorism”.
Developing from “a subversive strategy typical of certain extremist
organizations, aimed at the destruction of material goods or the killing
of people, terrorism has now become a shadowy network of political
collusion,” in which antagonistic political powers are tempted to play a
role by supplying resources of modern technology, advanced weaponry and
financing to these terrorist organizations. A situation is thus
created where the positive political will of the major players is
required in order to address and resolve the problem of global terrorism
and its disastrous effects.

Mr. President,

The tragic humanitarian and social effects of
terrorism are already well known. In the first place, the gravest
violation is complete contempt for innocent human life, the basic right
upon which all other human rights are founded. “As such, there is an
obligation on the part of the State to protect the right to life of
every person within its territory and no derogation from this right is
permitted, even in times of public emergency.” Since terrorism does
not recognize the dignity of its victims, there remains no other basis
or logic by which the other fundamental rights and freedoms of the human
person will be respected. As such, we see a sort of “domino effect”,
namely, once you deny a person his/her right to life, you abuse other
fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of belief and
worship, the right to expression and freedom of conscience, the right to
education and the right to be treated with equal dignity as any other
citizen of a nation, despite difference in religion, social and economic
status, language or ethnicity.

Due to the violence of new forms of terrorism and the
breach of international humanitarian law, the international community
faces the challenge of responding to the influx of refugees fleeing
these troubled areas to find a safe haven. Those receiving countries
must not only be lauded for their willingness to provide protection, but
they too need the assistance of the international community to deal
with the humanitarian crisis so as to avoid the eruption of further
problems on their own soil. Terrorism also facilitates trafficking of
persons and weapons, thus creating a black market for human commerce.
Where terrorism has effectively taken hold, irreparable social and
cultural damage has been done that will resonate through future
generations. By destroying the infrastructure of cities and regions,
especially by attacking government buildings, schools and religious
institutions, terrorism literally brings a society to its knees. In
addition the demolition of cultural and ancient sites by terrorists
threatens to annihilate the history of cultures and populations. Such
destruction creates the breeding grounds for more violent extremism,
thus continuing the vicious circle of violence propagating further
violence.

Mr. President,

Apart from the devastating social and humanitarian
effects which, in reality, are much more immediate and concrete, the
ongoing negative political effects of terrorism will continue to
resonate, in many ways in an unforeseeable manner for generations yet to
come. The political impact of terrorism is multifaceted and the parties
occultly facilitating or supporting, financially or otherwise,
terrorist activity for ulterior political agendas are not always so
clearly identified. Nevertheless, it can hardly be doubted that
terrorism has political effects and influences the political process, at
least in democratic and partially democratic states. In addition to
creating an environment of political instability for the countries and
regions which suffer the most from terrorism, the political effect on a
global level continues to grow. Governments throughout the world, in
some cases using terrorism as an excuse, are preoccupied with national
security and counterterrorism efforts, some of which also infringe upon
the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. This shows that
the political instability and fragmentation caused by terrorism creates
an equal and opposite reaction with serious political consequences. In
this sense, collaborative effort on the part of the international
community is all the more necessary. Efforts to reach a mutual approach
to fighting terrorism must always give priority to the victims of
terrorism; financial, political or ideological motives should never take
precedence over coming to a unified vision as to how the plague of
terrorism should be combatted.

The most obvious way in which terrorism can influence
the political process is by bringing about changes in public opinion,
which Governments then tend to take into account when formulating their
policies. It can be very hard for Governments to resist the pressure
from public opinion for a strong reaction in the wake of a terrorist
attack. The impact of terrorism on public opinion, however, is not as
straightforward or predictable as one might imagine. There is no uniform
public response to a terrorist attack. Nor do terrorist attacks
necessarily change people’s political opinions. The greater people’s
confidence in their own values, the less likely they are to change as a
result of a major event, like a terrorist attack. Finally, the role and
the power of media in forming and informing public opinion when
addressing terroristic events are of the utmost importance.

Mr. President,

The Holy See is deeply convinced that terrorism,
especially those forms that derive from religious extremism, must be
confronted with concerted political efforts by all players, especially
by all the local and regional parties involved, as well as by the major
international players, whose role is indispensable in negotiating and
finding a viable solution, diplomatic or otherwise, to protect life and
the future stability of the regions touched by terrorism. The response
to terrorism cannot be merely by way of military action. Political
participation, fair and just legal systems, and cutting all forms of
public and private support for terrorism are means not only to respond,
but also to prevent, terrorism. It is also important to remember the
positive obligation that States have to undertake in order to protect
their citizens and, where that is not possible, to collaborate with
other regional authorities in order to address the threats posed by
terrorist groups.Thank you, Mr. President.